Cooperative society bridges gap in Bayelsa NSCDC

Lucky Felicia never dreamt of owning a car. In fact, as an inspector in the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Bayelsa State, owning and driving a car was never in the budget of Felicia who hails from Peremabiri, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

“I have never dreamed that today with my little rank, l will be receiving or driving a car”, she told Niger Delta Report. But on September 30th, NSCDC’s Cooperative Society gave Felicia the reason to dream again. In her disbelief, she received a gift of a fairly-used car from the management of the cooperative.

Shortly after receiving a key to the car, Felicia leaped up in joy, shouting and running round the premises of the state command headquarters. She became a centre of attraction as she could not control her excitement.

“I am very much excited”, she said, adding: “Since l joined this cooperative l have not benefitted like this. Today as l have this car in my hand I am very happy. I also encourage people who are not yet members.

“They should try and follow me because l want my fellow officers to have this kind of benefits. I thank God for the commandant and the commandant general that raise this cooperative for the civil defence.

“ I joined the cooperative 2010. Earlier this year they gave me N150,000 to do my foundation. I will use the car for taxi.”

Apart from Felicia, other operatives of the command received different types of gifts such as generators, flat screen television and laptops.

The state’s Commandant, Mr. Desmond Agu, who inaugurated the gifts, said the cooperative was inactive when he took over the command of the state in November 2012. He said with some pep talks and motivation, he was able to revive the programme.

He advised persons who had yet to become members to embrace the scheme to benefit from the programme. He said being a member of cooperative was better than borrowing money from banks.

“When they borrow N1million from the bank, in three years you pay with huge interest. But is not the same when you borrow money from the cooperative. I am encouraging them to join. I have more than 7000 personnel here and l will be happy if all of them will join”, he said.

He said he was interested in the welfare of his personnel. Agu said: “My interest in Bayelsa is not only to command the human being as the commandant. I am commanding the human being and also commanding their welfare.

“I am interested in their welfare as the Commandant-General Ade Abolurin is interested in the welfare of the civil defence. The minister of interior is interested in the welfare of civil defence so l am also interested in the welfare of my personnel.”

Also the Chairman of the cooperative, Chief Superintendent Ogbole Fredrick, eulogised the scheme and said it had bridged the gap of standard of living between senior and junior officers.

He said the junior officers can enjoy good things of life through the scheme. “I am very happy because Cooperative is about welfare. A private can now drive a car. A private can use flat screen television. A private with a monthly salary of less than N50,000 can now take better care of his family.”

He disclosed that some members of the cooperative had acquired land and built houses through painless loans offered by the cooperative. According to him the cooperative had also assisted people in emergency situations.

He poured encomiums on the commandant and said his his support and doggedness had assisted the scheme to develop. He said over 300 operatives were so far members of the cooperative in the state.

“One of the challenges was that people were ignorant of the scheme and they did not believe in us. Some people felt that they would lose their money. But we have overcome the challenges.

“The new commandant has done very well to ensure that the scheme is working. He spoke to us and helped to initiate some policies.

“He wanted to make it compulsory for everybody to become a member but he had some challenges because some persons did not believe in keeping their money somewhere.”